St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-05-07
nee.

:ARTlFIcIAL nee.
The Principal Iagredssass and The lGaeAa,.
Used h lts Aaa1fActare.
One of the most remarkable practical
applications Of science is the produc-
ton OF artificial ice. for the preserva.
ton OF food in large cities. In New
York. for instance. there Is no longer
any waste If fish. flesh, fowl or fruit
from heat or decay. In all the packing.
houses. under the vast freight depots a
st. Johns Park, As well Is the ware
house near the markets, there is ! con-
slant production of artificial ice, which
freezes all perishable food, 50 that it can
be kept any reasonable length Of time
until sold. During the dog-days turkeys
and chickens are frozen ~ stiff as al
any time in midwinter. This artificial
ice is ever 50 much cheaper than natural
ice. because it can be manufactured
when required and does not cali for the
labor OF handling. Ammonia is the
principal ingredient used in its manu-
facture. A daily paper on this subject
says: The artificial production oi
cold is, of course, no new thing.
As far back rs 1924. Valance, in
1884. Perkins. and twenty years later.
Twining, made experiments with view
to producing ice by mechanical means.
In 1855, Twining built q machine in
Cleveland, o.. in which, by the use
of sulphuric ether, about q ton of ice u
day was produced. In 1850. Care
made ice-making practical business
by the invention of his ammonia-absorp-
ton machine, which produced great
sensation at the Paris Exhibition Of
1867. Cares principle remains to-
day that Of the best cold-producing
machines. Lquefied ammonia, the
product Of the compression of
gaseous ammonia, 1t . low tempera-
ture. in evaporating and return
ing to its gaseous state requires an
immense amount of heat, and will take
it from any surrounding material. The
problem, therefore, was to compress
the gas until it liquefied, and then carry
the liquid ammonia to some place where
its evaporation would absorb heat not
wanted. Thus. If ice was desired. the
liquid ammonia could be carried into .
coil Of pipe placed in tank of water;
the absorption of heat by the coil Of
pipe would be such as to freeze tho
whole mass Of water. Hcold air simply
was desired. a pipe carrying liquid am
monia, or any substance cooled by the
ammonia. could be carried to the apart
ment which it was desired to cool.
Cares first machine was simply
strong pump which compressed the
gaseous ammonia to the point Of lique-
faction. and a series of pipes or retorts
into which the liquid ammonia was
forced. Having absorbed the surround
ing cold by its expansion. the gas was
returned to the compression pumps and
reduced again to liquid ammonia All
improvements upon the system Of Carrie
and Twining have been made chiefly in
the line Of greater mechanical perfec-
ton Of the condensing and expansion
devices. A perfect machine would lose
no gas whatever, but would continue
using the same gas over and over
again" But there are other uses to
which the production Of artificial ice
can bc applied. In the years to come.
living in large cities during the sum-
mer time will be rendered more tolera-
BILE by the refrigeration Of private
houses. as well as public resorts, such
as churches. places of amusement and
inclosed public gardens. machinery.
similar to that we employ in heating
houses in winter time, can be used to
cool them during the heats of summer.
Living in tropical regions also will be
rendered more endurable when the
cheap production of artificial ice is bet
ter understood. In northern regions,
we live under cover, IS protection
against cold. and with these new rr-
agents. an Enclosure against
the hot weather will be protection in
those regions Of the earth that are near
the equator This manufactured ice is
one Of the most beneficent and useful
Of modern times.-DeR0rescs
Nonthly.